Letters to the Editor 3/14/2017

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Published: March 14, 2017

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Board move explained

Editor: The Western Wayne School Board wants to explain the reasons for amending Superintendent Joseph Adams’ contract.

Prior to his tenure as superintendent, the district was in severe financial hardship, with unsettled labor contracts, dire need of buildings and grounds repairs and transportation upgrades. Due to the board’s and administration’s diligence and other factors, the district is in its best-ever fiscal position.

Labor contracts are settled until 2020, the first phase of an energy conservation and building renovation project was completed without a tax increase and the transportation system is upgraded.

The board recognizes Adams’ expertise and experience in finance, construction and grant-writing and voted unanimously to extend additional health care in exchange for him to continue providing these services. This change will cost the district an additional $86,304 over the next eight years, based on current premiums. However, the board believes this was a prudent business decision. Construction management in the past was a contracted service at 2.5 percent of total project costs, which were avoided in the most recent construction project.

For example, the district paid $686,000 in construction management expenses during the Evergreen Elementary School construction project, but Adams helped the district save $250,000 in a recent construction project and will save at least $148,000 on the current project. He arranged financing for our current construction project with two local banks that saved $200,000 in fees. Additionally, he is writing three state grants totaling nearly $1 million for the district, if awarded.

He has saved the local taxpayers nearly $600,000 in construction-related expenses and is working on $1 million more in potential grants. We want to retain his services and continue the positive momentum for our district and community, while continuing to improve academic and non-classroom performance.

DONALD OLSOMMER JR.

PRESIDENT,

WESTERN WAYNE SCHOOL BOARD

Release tax returns

Editor: The Trump administration is dealing with a two-part problem.

The first, regarding Russian interference in our election, simply requires an independent investigation by the FBI and CIA, with full disclosure to the American people.

The second involves Russia’s motivation to help Donald Trump be elected president and what his financial connections are to Russian institutions and oligarchs. To achieve this Trump must release his tax returns.

VINCE MANNINA

SUSQUEHANNA

Nonpartisan climate

Editor: President Trump initially said climate change was a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese.

Yet Fortune magazine reports China’s commitment to spend $361 billion on renewable energy through 2020. China is fighting climate change and pollution, believing this investment will result in 13 million jobs. Clearly, climate change is not a hoax. Its impacts will be felt by all of us regardless of political affiliation. Newsweek magazine reports that if climate warming continues, polar bears will become endangered due to rising temperatures largely driven by “increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases.”

Closer to home, a 2015 Penn State study concluded that climate change adversely affects Pennsylvania’s brook trout population and drives them farther north in search of cooler water. A week doesn’t go by without additional evidence of the harmful effects of climate change. Despite that reality, President Trump and his adviser, Steve Bannon, now plan to opt out of the Paris Agreement, the first truly international pact to curb climate change by both developed and developing countries.

Climate change is a reality, not a partisan issue. Many Republicans — but apparently not most elected GOP officials — recognize that fact and want to change the administration’s position on this issue.

Readers should contact their elected officials and urge them to do all they can to support the Paris Agreement and to fight climate change, rather than siding with selfish, short-sighted, special interest groups. Scott Pruitt, the new head of the EPA, already is undoing previous efforts to curb climate change. Withdrawing from the Paris Agreement would only further exacerbate this problem for our nation and the Earth. Ignoring climate change will severely diminish the quality and safety of our lives as well as those of our children.

Neither us nor elected officials can afford to fiddle while the planet burns.

BRAD JONES

SCRANTON

Arts tax for lefties

Editor: Regina Kozel (“Favors arts tax,” Feb. 27) defends the $12 annual county tax that supports arts and culture. She claims property taxes are a much greater burden for citizens of Lackawanna County than the levy that funds the arts.

Without a doubt property taxes are a much bigger burden for county residents than a fee that only costs $12 per year. However, there is one problem with the analysis. Those who support the county tax that pays for the arts also favor high property taxes.

The local group that insists on funding for the arts is left of center. These leftists usually favor more and more public spending and higher taxes.

The local faction that supports arts and culture has little concern about high property taxes. Reducing taxes or cutting spending goes completely against liberal progressive ideology.

WILLIAM SPEARE

SCRANTON

Un-Christian behavior

Editor: I am a Christian and I was amazed how many so-called Christians voted for a man of hate for president and it has gotten worse.

He has said terrible things about women. Remember what the United States did to Japanese-Americans during World War II, putting them in internment camps and using them as scapegoats.

This man uses Muslims as scapegoats and wants to deport Mexicans and rip families apart. I just don’t understand how people could vote for a terrible man like him for president. I know Jesus would not stand for someone like this.

KEVIN MAGNER

SOUTH ABINGTON TWP.

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